Rewind: Georgia vs. Auburn Grade Report

Jonathan Branch

11/12/2012

DawgPost's Jonathan Branch breaks down each position group's play in Georgia's division-clinching win.

Quarterback – A

Aaron Murray completed 18-of-24 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns before the Bulldogs let off the accelerator. Murray spread the wealth again this week, and despite getting knocked around quite a bit against the Tigers, Murray delivered crisp passes and showed his natural leadership abilities. He coached up his younger receivers like Jay Rome and Chris Conley and displayed toughness in the pocket. Even though his yardage wasn't eye-popping, this was one of Murray's finest performances in a Georgia uniform.

Running back – A+

Georgia's backs did it all against Auburn. Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall each averaged over 10 yards per carry, and the two freshmen broke loose for long runs against the Tigers. Marshall displayed his elite top-end speed on a 62-yard touchdown jaunt, and Todd Gurley opened the game with a 10-yard reception and a 49-yard run to set the town for the evening.

Wide Receiver/Tight End – A

Sans two of his best receivers, Aaron Murray found plenty of targets—both old and new—against the Tigers. Tavarres King made a spectacular grab for a touchdown and beat Auburns secondary for a 55-yard reception. Artie Lynch and Jay Rome were go-to targets for Murray, more than in any other game this season, though Lynch did have a third down drop that would have given Georgia a first down. Malcolm Mitchell continues to be a dangerous weapon, displaying his athleticism and quickness in both curl routes and deep passes, and Chris Conley had a nice touchdown grab in his first start.

Offensive Line – B+

Two false start penalties were an obvious negative for this group. Mark Beard played well considering it was his first start ever and he was matched up against a very good defensive end in Auburn's Corey Lemonier. Still, this group was inconsistent at times. Mark Richt pointed out their protection issues as one of his few negative takeaways from the game. Murray was hit a few times, but when the center earns Offensive Lineman of the Week award for the SEC and the backs rush for over 200 yards in fewer than 20 carries, you did a solid job.

Defensive Line – A

This group didn't have many tackles, but when the opposition only runs 49 plays, that's not a bad thing. Garrison Smith, John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers have put together a string of solid games recently, and Auburn was no different. Jenkins and Geathers combined for three quarterback hurries, and Ray Drew got a pair of hurries also.

Linebackers – A

Jarvis Jones continued reeking terror on opposing quarterbacks. This time, Jonathan Wallace was the victim. Jones notched two sacks and five quarterback hurries, while his protégé Jordan Jenkins added a sack and three hurries. Alec Ogletree led Georgia with ten tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Mike Gilliard had three tackles and recovered a fumble, and Christian Robinson delivered a jarring tackle-for-loss on a screen pass to Auburn's Tre Mason.

Defensive Backs – A

Bacarri Rambo was everywhere against Auburn. He picked off one pass, broke up another and finished with eight tackles. He was equally disruptive in coverage and stuffing the run, showing incredible closing speed. Rambo is just one interception short of Jake Scott's school record of 16, and if he continues playing like he has recently, he will get that record sooner rather than later. Georgia's cornerbacks played very well, keeping Auburn's receivers from getting open in intermediate to deep route, and Shawn Williams finished with five tackles and forced a fumble on Auburn's only trip to the redzone.

Special Teams – A+

In a game where nothing seemed to go wrong for Georgia, the special teams followed suit. Punter Collin Barber had his best game of the season, blasting four punts for an average of 47.2 yards, including two punts inside the 5-yard line and three total inside the 20. Adam Erickson also added a pooch punt inside the 5-yard line. Marshall Morgan was perfect (and looked confident) in his five extra points and a 20-yard field goal, and the Bulldogs didn't have any issues in the return game.